Vault- sky- or floor-light construction.



F. I. GEIGER & A. E. DAVIS. vAu'LLsKI/ oa FLooRL|GHT CONSTRUCTION..

APPLICATION FILED IAY. I9I5.

1,245,214. A Patented Nom 6, ISH?.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

m www FREDERICK J. GEIGER AND ANTHONY ELTON DAVIS, OF-PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYL- VANIA.

VAULT- SKY- OR FLOOR-LIGHT CONSTRUCTI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Nov. 6, y191'?.

Application led May 5, 1916. Serial No. 95,564.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FREDERICK J. GEIGER and ANTHONY ELTON Davis, both citizens of the United States, and residents of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Vault- Skyor Floor-Light Construction, of which the following `is a specifcation.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a construction for vaultfloor and sky-lights, the principal parts of which can be madeV in vthe advantageous conditions 'of a shop or factory and carried in stock as a sort of unit, multiples of which can be readily assembled on the ground with the other parts of the construction so as to meet the requirements of practically any job or piece of work. Another object of the invention'is to provide for minimizing the work that is done at the place of construction or assemblage. Another object of the invention is to effect an economy in the depth of the glass. Another object of the invention is to provide a strong, attractive and sightly construction of the kind referred to which can be made and assembled in a simple, expeditious and comparatively inexpensive way of erecting or making such constructions. Y

Theinvention will be claimed at the end hereof, but will be first described in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof and illustrating an embodiment of the invention chosen from other em'- bodiments, and in which- Figure 1, is a top `or plan'view with parts removed illustrating a construction embodying the invention and also thel method of construction.

Fig. 2, is a transverse section of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3, is a view drawn to an enlarged scale and illustrating a section taken at right anglesto the lplane of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4, is a top or plan view of one ofthe open bottom cups, and 'Y Fi 5,.'is arsectional view-fof the same showing in dotted lines features of construction.

The unit of the `construction consists of an open bottom cup 1 having a glass" re'- ceiving opening 2 and a flaring channel forming base 3. The opening 2 is shown as rectangular so as to accommodate a rectangular glass 4, but it may be made circu-` lar or of'any other form to conform to the shape of the glass. The portion 3 ares eX- ternally so as to form a channel as will be described and it may flare internally as shown, and when it does it enlarges the space for the passage of light. 5 is a flange encircling the cup and when itis present it operates as a retaining means. It has been said that the opening 2 may be circular or of any appropriate shape, but the flaring base should be rectangular so that when a number of cups are assembled their bases may contact with each other thus closing the bottoms of the channels 6 and giving one face of the construction a neat and sightly appearance. The cups can be'made in a factory and under appropriate conditions for attaining the best results. When nished they may be carried in stock so that the work can be made continuous instead of seasonal. If desired'the inner lportion of the cups can lbe finished orburnished so as to present an attractive appearance since they constituteone face of the construction and if desired'a suitable pigment or coloring matter can be incorporated so that the cups may be colored'and when this is done they mayV be arranged after the fashion of mosaics toproduce appropriate designs.

^ -In'the completed structure an appropriate number of cups for covering the' opening are arranged with their flaring bases in contact, thus forming Yintersecting channels l6 having substantially closed' bottoms.` Reinforcements 7 and- 8,1as'metal rods of'de'- formed cross-section are arranged in crossed relation in the channels k6. Glasses 4C are mounted inthe cups andseated on the tops thereof. For this purpose the glasses may be formed with projections 9 adapted to t in`the`top of the cups and so center and `properly hold the glasses against lateralv or.

other motionin respect to the cups and since the rectangular bases of the cups are in contact witheach other the cups `are held -ragainstsidewise displacement. Concrete 10 is applied in the channels 6 and around the glassesfand cups land reinforcements and is permitted to set and adhere to those parts,

f while it is confined by the closed bottoms of the channels. The concrete is struck off level with the faces of the glasses and withthem constitute one face of the constructiomthe other face of the construction is made up of the interior portions of the cup and one of the faces of the glasses. Since the bases of the cups abut as at 11, no concrete is visible and the abutment is so close that the line of contact is scarcely visible.

During the erection of the construction it is necessary to employ some kind of temporary structure upon which to place the cups, and a. description of one such temporary structure will be given.

The members 12 and 13 are assumed to be the supports upon which the structure is to be erected. lel are lintels that constitute a part of the permanent structure and they are arranged to span and rest upon the members 12 and 13. They may be variously constructed, as yfor example, of reinforced concrete or they may be rolled metal bars of suitable cross-section. It is Well to have their faces 15 covered because those faces are exposed between certain of. the cups and vtherefore they should match the cups in order to obtain the best effects. These lintels may be carried in stock lengths and they are easily cut to fit structures in which the distance between the supports 12 and 13 is anything short of their lengths. lhen the lintels are provided with tapped sockets, hangers lymay be employed to support the temporary structure 17 upon which the cups and other parts are assembled. The members of the temporary structure 17 may'consist of boards of sizes appropriate to fit them for use in making structures of different sizes. A section of the structure can be readily leveled and brought to conform to the adjacent level by wedging up the lintels in respect to the supports 12 and 13 as may be necessary. The finished structure is not only supported by the lintels but; also by the supports 12 and 13 since the concrete 10 and reinforcements can yextend over both of them. Thehangers 16 and temporary ,struc` ture can be assecmbledfrom the top, the ,keys 18 permitting of theapplication. of the elements ,19. This is frequently a matter of some convenience. 2O are side pieces which can be laid on top of the lintels ify desired and which when present, together Withthe parts 21, make up a sort ofl frameY in whichV a section of vthe structure can be assembled and the parts 20 can be removed, leaving a space that can be used in providing .an eX- pansion joint between the sections, or ifdesired the layer of concrete 10 can be eX- tendedcontinuously across the lintels asis indicated in the upper left-hand portionvrof Fig. 1.

In the finished structure the cupsare well held in the layer of concrete not only by adhesion but also by the retaining iianges 5, when present, and thewhole structure including the cups, glasses and reinforcements and lintels might well be described as a reinforced monolith.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modiiications may be made in details Without departing from the spirit of the invention, which is not limited as to those mat-ters or in any Way kother than as thefprior art and the appended claimsmay require. Y

What we claim is:

1. A vaultsky or Hoor light construction consisting of the combination ofL cups open top and bottom and having the lower portions thereof in Contact with each other and other portions out of contact with each-Other forming channels, glasses mounted on the cups and extending above the same, and concrete filling the channels and contacting with the glasses above the cups and binde ing said parts into the complete structure.

2. A vaultsky or floor light construction consistingV of the combination of peripherally fianged cupsy open top and bottom and having portions thereof in ,contact with each other and other portions out ofcontact with each otherforming channels, glasses mounted on the cupsu and extending above the same, and concrete iillingthe channels and engaging thev flanges and contacting with the glasses above the cups and bindingfsaid parts into the completedI structure. 3. A vaultsky-.or floor lightconstruction comprising the combination of supports, lintels spanning the supports, cups open top and bottom andhaying, flaring bases incontact with each otherforming. channels, V`reinforcements arrangedf in theV channels? and overlying the lintels and supports, andfconcrete fillingsaid channels and embracing said reinforcements and cups and extending above the cups into contact Withtheglasses, f

substantially as described. Y;

, 4. A vault-.skyor floor light construction consisting. ofA thel combination ofv cups open top andbottomv and having flaring basesl in contact vvith each other forming channels and constituting, a permanent face ofthe construction, glasses mountedontop of said cups, reinforcements in said channels, and concrete filling the channels and contact` ing .with the cupsand reinforcements land glasses.

. FREDERICK J. GEIGER.-

YA1\T,'l`lrOl\T .Y YElill-0N DAVIS.

Copies ot this patent may be obtaineliox-ve cents each', by.siii,iresizngftige.r .Cunniissgornex o! Patenti,A

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